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Fish are magnificent small pets. They come in beautiful shapes and colours and although they aren’t very talkative, they still make great companions and without a doubt will turn a house into a home. This article will be your guide to choosing the best fish food for your pets and comes packed with our reviews, recommendations and advice on how to pick the best fish food.
It is imperative that you do your research about your pet fish. A common misconception for beginning fish owners is that all fish eat the same food. This is not true! And just like you wouldn’t feed someone with a bit of allergy, nuts, you should always make sure that your fish aren’t allergic to what you’re feeding them.
You have a myriad of options when it comes to choosing what your fish eats; a variety that contains the necessary vitamins and minerals and that satisfies the needs of your fish.
The ingredients below are commonly found in the best fish food. They contain plenty of nutrients for your fish and are a breeze to digest. The main ingredients that you may find in good fish food are:
- Whole fish
- Krill (crustaceans)
- Black soldier fly larvae
- Earthworms and Black works
- Algae Meal
Here are a few things that you should never feed your fish:
- Lower quality fish meals- these are made out of the leftovers from the fishing industry. Processing plants usually cut off the meat leaving a little bit of protein and a large number of things that cannot be digested by your fish. We prefer to use high-quality fish that are high in protein and Omega-3.
- Legumes and some grains – you should stay away from food containing soy or gluten (wheat) as your fish just aren’t able to digest those food products. These terrestrial grains and legume products may be found in some fish foods; as long as it is not one of the main ingredients then it is fine to buy for your fish due to the lower concentrations.
There are many different types of fish food to choose from for your pets. Some types of fish will prefer different types to other fish.
Flakes
They are the most common type of fish food so they tend to have many different varieties for each fish type. It is best for the top and mid-water feeding fish; if your fish are bottom-feeding (and mixed with top feeding), you should consider choosing an alternative to ensure that they eat enough food and the flakes are not all eaten by other fish.
Pellets
You can get many different sizes of pellets for your fish. They can be both floating (for top-feeder fish) and sinking for mid and bottom-feeder fish. They share some similarities with flakes but pellets tend to be dense balls or sticks rather than thinner flakes.
Sinking Wafers
Sinking wafers are dry, hard disks of food that sink rapidly. They best suit bottom-feeding fish like plecos. When buying this fish food, you should be aware that they may be also labelled as ‘algae wafers’ but we recommend that you check the ingredient list to ensure that your fish get the highest quality food available.
Freeze Dried
These types of food often contain ingredients as a whole, so, for example, freeze-dried brine shrimp could be found in there. These are a great option if you are looking for long-lasting/ long shelf life fish food. We do not recommend using this as the main component of your pets’ diet, it should be kept as a treat as the amount of freeze-dried food you would need to properly feed your fish would be vast.
Tetra TetraMin flakes are comprehensively packaged with great classic precision doses of select vitamins and nutrients to boost the immune system of your fish, biotin to help maintain metabolism and omega-3 fatty acids for the provision of energy and growth. Tetra flakes are specially formulated to ensure clear and clean aquarium water and include ProCare for added health benefits.
This amazing product is nutritionally well balanced for the optimum health of your fish, easily digested, leaving less waste in your tank and hence improved aquarium clarity.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Feeding convenience |
Flakes sometimes tend to sink to the bottom of the tank |
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Flakes do not leach colour |
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Upgraded formula with Prebiotics |
The Tetra Freeze-Dried Bloodworms makes a great supplement for your pets and can work alongside other fish food as a treat for your fish as well as providing energy boosts and it also helps to condition your fish tank. The bloodworms are perfect for betta and other small or medium sized tropical and marine fish. This supplement has undergone special processing to ensure that the appearances of unpleasant organisms (that are usually found on live bloodworms) are reduced.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Great for tropical and marine fish |
Some reviewers perceive it’s less value for money |
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Does not cloud water |
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A great snack for your fish |
Zoo Med Spirulina 20 is formulated with a perfect composition of classic nutritional constituents with a broad spectrum of major vitamins; A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, and E. It’s well enriched with all essential fatty acids and the eight amino acids necessary for complete nutrition.
This awesome product can be classed as a distinctive ‘best-seller’ amongst the best fish food, containing 20% spirulina in addition to a provision of a complete rich protein diet for freshwater fish, marine fish, goldfish, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Some hypothetical findings have revealed that fresh and saltwater fish exhibit superior growth, maturity, energetic behaviour and more elegant colouring when fed with Spirulina 20.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Improves egg production & hatching rates |
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Stimulates the reproductive processes |
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Increases survival rates of younger fish |
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Arouses the appetite of fish |
The Hikari Micro Wafers for Fish are a great choice for most fish, especially catfish, tetras and cichlids. This particular fish food can be fed to all tank-feeding fish levels as it has a unique floating and slow sinking characteristic, leaving no aquarium level without a sufficient portion of food. You will not have to worry about any fish food messing up the glass of the tank with the Hikari Micro Wafers. It is also made of high-quality marine and vegetable protein which prompts faster acceptance and superior nutrient utilisation. These wafers can help to avoid any excess waste or overfeeding by making it simple to see how much food has been eaten. This food will add a pop of colour into your aquarium as well as keeping your fish healthy by containing a healthy amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to reduce stress levels in fish.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Colourful Food |
You must avoid overfeeding your fish |
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Slow sinking |
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Contains Vitamin C |
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Allows all fish to receive food |
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Small food – can be used multiple times per day |
Aqueon tropical flakes are such a unique formulation that allow your fish to utilize more of what they eat and create much less waste, so you don’t have to worry about cloudy aquarium water.
This stunning product provides a healthy daily diet for sustained growth and absolute vigour and in turn helps to showcase the radiance and true colours in fish.
Aqueon tropical flakes are specially packaged with natural ingredients and colours with added vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients to provide optimum level of nutrition for a wide range of tropical fish.
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Pros |
Cons |
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Feed in amounts that fish consumes under 2 minutes |
Some flakes tend to sink to the bottom of the tank |
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Will not cloud aquarium water when fed as directed |
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Helps support a healthy immune system |
Fish make amazing pets; they do so much for us so the least we could do is ensure that they are eating the best fish food there is to offer. At Small Pets Guru, we are committed to small pets and we stay loyal to our commitment by preparing this guide on the best fish foods and how to choose the best fish foods.
